John ForcucciNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NHPR StaffSat, 17 Mar 2018 08:45:19 +0000NHPR Staffhttp://nhpr.org
NHPR Staff5:30 p.m .: The New Hampshire Department of Transportation reports that the number of crashes are down today, thanks in part to drivers staying off the roads where possible. Roger Lamontagne, of DOT District 3, took this photo of a car off the road at the end of the Laconia bypass in Gilford: There are only scattered outages, as of 5:30 p.m. Eversource had halved its customer outage to just 50. ----- 3 p.m .: The latest nor'easter is going a lot easier on area utilities than last week's storm. So far. Unitil spokesman Alec O’Meara says that’s all due to the consistency of the snow falling on trees and power lines. "The storm last week was that very, very wet, heavy, sticky, oatmealy, pasty kind of snow, whereas this snow is a more normal kind of snow – it has less moisture, it’s blowing around a lot more, but it isn’t sticking to infrastructure.” In Massachusetts, an estimated 200,000 are without power, as of Tuesday afternoon. Eversource, New Hampshire's largest utility, reportedWinter Storm Blog: Nor'easter Belts N.H., Outages Limited So Farhttp://nhpr.org/post/winter-storm-blog-noreaster-belts-nh-outages-limited-so-far
123933 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 13 Mar 2018 21:47:54 +0000Winter Storm Blog: Nor'easter Belts N.H., Outages Limited So FarNHPR StaffToday, voters in towns around the state will cast ballots in local elections. Like last year, a severe snowstorm is complicating matters, especially in the wake of the state's claim that towns don't have the power to reschedule local votes. NHPR's reporters are in the field covering polls around the state throughout Town Meeting Day. Bookmark this blog and check back to see photos, hear from voters, and more. Click here for NHPR's coverage of local issues leading up to Town Meeting Day.Town Meeting Live Blog: Turnout In N.H. Towns Varies With Issues, Storm Predictionshttp://nhpr.org/post/town-meeting-live-blog-turnout-nh-towns-varies-issues-storm-predictions
123944 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 13 Mar 2018 14:39:23 +0000Town Meeting Live Blog: Turnout In N.H. Towns Varies With Issues, Storm PredictionsNHPR StaffA New Hampshire circuit court judge has been suspended without pay because of allegations that he submitted fake evaluations of his job performance. Judge Paul Moore sits on the Nashua District Court. He has been on leave since last year. According to documents released yesterday, Moore interfered with the evaluation system the state courts use to assess the performance of judges, in order to boost his own score. Records show that Moore acknowledged he filled out numerous surveys, giving himself perfect scores in the annual review, but he falsely claimed that those reviews were submitted anonymously by others. In a letter to the state Judicial Conduct Committee, Moore says he developed an "unhealthy obsession" with the evaluation process and suffered anxiety as a result. A hearing on Moore's behavior is scheduled for May. State Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Dalianis has also asked the attorney general's office to investigate the matter.AG Investigates N.H. Judge for Alleged Misconducthttp://nhpr.org/post/ag-investigates-nh-judge-alleged-misconduct
123938 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 13 Mar 2018 12:53:57 +0000AG Investigates N.H. Judge for Alleged MisconductNHPR StaffAnother nor'easter is developing, and this winter storm watch coincides Tuesday with New Hampshire's annual Town Meeting day . The National Weather Service issued the storm alert for all of Tuesday and until Wednesday at 8 a.m. The updated forecast Sunday indicates snowfall of at least a couple of inches across the Granite State. Snow accumulation projections include: Concord: 4- to 7- inches, Greater Portsmouth: 5- to 10, Nashua: 4- to 10, Mount Washington Valley: 4- to 8, Keene: 4- to 8, Upper Valley: 3- to 5 New Hampshire's traditional Town Meeting season comes each March for most communities (by law, it falls on the second Tuesday in March, unless a town has enacted an alternate provision). A snow storm last year prompted postponements and ignited a debate that is still continuing, about who has the authority to postpone and reschedule these important town governmental sessions. Read more: Who Should Have the Power to Reschedule Town Meetings? N.H. Senate Sides with the SecretaryWinter Storm Watch for Tuesday, N.H. Town Meeting Dayhttp://nhpr.org/post/winter-storm-watch-tuesday-nh-town-meeting-day
123855 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 12 Mar 2018 19:40:24 +0000Winter Storm Watch for Tuesday, N.H. Town Meeting DayNHPR StaffJane Doe will remain Jane Doe. In a ruling that could shift legal precedent in New Hampshire, a Superior Court judge has declared that the identity of a woman who won a $560 million Powerball jackpot cannot be disclosed by the state Lottery Commission, citing “an invasion of privacy.”Judge Rules Powerball Winner 'Jane Doe' Can Remain Anonymoushttp://nhpr.org/post/judge-rules-powerball-winner-jane-doe-can-remain-anonymous
123893 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 12 Mar 2018 16:51:45 +0000Judge Rules Powerball Winner 'Jane Doe' Can Remain AnonymousNHPR StaffA Jaffrey-based fireworks company is under investigation after it left a truck loaded with fireworks unattended with the engine running. Atlas Fireworks was preparing a show at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods over the weekend. Law enforcement arrived to find an unlocked truck with no Atlas employees on the grounds and no placards on the side of the truck indicating its explosive contents. The matter is still under investigation by the State Police.Police Investigate Loaded Fireworks Truck Left Running, Unattended at N.H. Resorthttp://nhpr.org/post/police-investigate-loaded-fireworks-truck-left-running-unattended-nh-resort
123887 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 12 Mar 2018 14:40:11 +0000Police Investigate Loaded Fireworks Truck Left Running, Unattended at N.H. ResortNHPR StaffSeason 4 of NPR's Invisibilia will examine how the stories we tell ourselves can lock us into one place or another... and what happens in the space in between. Invisibilia explores the invisible forces that shape human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. The show is co-hosted by award winning journalists Alix Spiegel and Hanna Rosin. In each episode, human stories are combined with the latest thinking on psychological and brain science. NHPR will broadcast episodes Friday nights at 8 p.m., beginning March 9, followed by a three-episode marathon Sunday, March 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Episode 1, Friday, March 9, 8 p.m. Breaking The Pattern A panel of judges sits to decide the fate of a young woman. She’s the child of addicts and an ex-addict and ex-felon herself, and she’s asking the court to trust her to become an attorney. The outcome of her case hinges on a question we all struggle with: are we destined to repeat our patterns, or can we stray in surprising directions?Invisibilia Season 4 To Air On NHPR http://nhpr.org/post/invisibilia-season-4-air-nhpr
123692 as http://nhpr.orgThu, 08 Mar 2018 15:07:44 +0000Invisibilia Season 4 To Air On NHPR NHPR StaffTens of thousands of people have had their power restored Thursday, after a winter storm dumped about a foot of heavy, wet snow on New Hampshire. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, about 37,000 customers – mostly in Southeastern New Hampshire – were still waiting on power. Unitil spokeswoman Carol Valianti says the snow that fell on that region is like cement. It adheres to trees and branches and wires, and brings them down. On top of that, she says the preceding nor'easter left trees brittle from wind and loaded the ground with moisture, weakening root systems. "I just feel like that storm sort of set up trees and the infrastructure to be a bit vulnerable to this kind of snow with this amount of weight,” Valianti says. Representatives for the big three New Hampshire utilities – Liberty, Eversource and Unitil – say they're fixing damaged transmission equipment first, which is bringing back power for large swaths of people. They say smaller, more individual outages might take longer to fix andNor'easter Dumps More Than Foot of Snow, Causes N.H. Outageshttp://nhpr.org/post/noreaster-dumps-more-foot-snow-causes-nh-outages
123674 as http://nhpr.orgThu, 08 Mar 2018 12:05:27 +0000Nor'easter Dumps More Than Foot of Snow, Causes N.H. OutagesNHPR StaffAn early morning earthquake shook the Contoocook and Concord area, the Weston Observatory at Boston College confirmed today. The 2.4-scale earthquake shook some Granite Staters awake around 5 a.m. Wednesday. The New Hampshire area is not unfamiliar with such seismic activity. Just last month, a magnitude 2.7 quake struck near East Kingston, according to the U.S. Geological Survey .Earthquake Hits Contoocook Areahttp://nhpr.org/post/earthquake-hits-contoocook-area
123667 as http://nhpr.orgWed, 07 Mar 2018 13:48:50 +0000Earthquake Hits Contoocook AreaNHPR StaffWith no debate, the GOP-controlled New Hampshire House approved a bill on Tuesday to raise the legal marriage age in the state to 16. Currently, girls as young as 13 and boys at 14 can get married with a judge’s consent. Last year, Republicans in the House voted down a measure to set the age at 18, citing concerns over how it may impact young members of the military and their spouses. Backers of the higher age say it helps protect young women from ending up in potentially abusive marriages. The bill now heads to the state Senate. Governor Chris Sununu says he will sign the measure if it reaches his desk.Bill to Raise Marriage Age Clears N.H. Househttp://nhpr.org/post/bill-raise-marriage-age-clears-nh-house
123626 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 06 Mar 2018 19:14:12 +0000Bill to Raise Marriage Age Clears N.H. HouseNHPR StaffA major winter storm is developing that could dump more than a foot of snow on parts of New Hampshire. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the entire Granite State. Snow is expected to start falling around 10 a.m. Wednesday. The warning extends to Thursday at 1 p.m. Snow accumulation projections include: Concord, 8- to 14- inches, Keene, 9- to 15-, and Portsmouth, 9- to 13-. The snow map produced Tuesday by the Weather Service shows a significant high end of the range. Manchester could get as much as 17 inches of snow. It projects Nashua and Jaffrey receiving up to 18 inches.Major Snowfall Ahead for N.H., Winter Storm Warning in Effecthttp://nhpr.org/post/major-snowfall-ahead-nh-winter-storm-warning-effect
123608 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 06 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000Major Snowfall Ahead for N.H., Winter Storm Warning in EffectNHPR StaffThe state Attorney General's office will allow a proposed affiliation between two New Hampshire hospital systems to move forward.Merger Between Elliot Hospital & Southern N.H. Health Can Move Ahead, State Sayshttp://nhpr.org/post/merger-between-elliot-hospital-southern-nh-health-can-move-ahead-state-says
123567 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 05 Mar 2018 21:52:42 +0000NHPR StaffUpdate: The nor'easter March storm soaked New Hampshire's seacoast towns, causing serious flooding in Hampton Beach and forcing the closure of several roads in Hampton to Rye along Ocean Boulevard. Flooding was its worst with the mid-day high tide. Several roads that were blocked or closed were open Friday afternoon, while public safety officials are keeping on eye on the next high tide - close to midnight. The coastal flood warning is in effect until 2 p.m. Saturday. A high wind warning is in effect until midnight.Nor'easter Hits N.H.: High Winds, Coastal Flooding Force Road Closureshttp://nhpr.org/post/noreaster-hits-nh-high-winds-coastal-flooding-force-road-closures
123451 as http://nhpr.orgFri, 02 Mar 2018 11:44:23 +0000Nor'easter Hits N.H.: High Winds, Coastal Flooding Force Road ClosuresNHPR StaffYou can listen to a selection of NHPR's coverage of race in New Hampshire in 2017 with the audio link below, or scroll down for a list of full stories. As the nation dealt with escalating racial tensions in 2017, several incidents in New Hampshire shook communities and forced a state not accustomed to talking about race to hear uncomfortable stories from people of color about their experiences. In the city of Claremont, a biracial 8-year-old was found with rope burns around his neck; his family said older white children had pushed him off a table in an attempted lynching. On the other side of the state, in Durham, a 7-year-old child met his father at the bus stop, crying because another child on the bus had bullied him about the color of his skin - and the parents held the school district accountable. Meanwhile, incidents involving racial stereotyping and race-based hostility at the University of New Hampshire forced a campus-wide dialogue about respect and diversity at the mostly2018 PRNDI Entry, Continuing Coverage: Race in New Hampshirehttp://nhpr.org/post/2018-prndi-entry-continuing-coverage-race-new-hampshire
123379 as http://nhpr.orgThu, 01 Mar 2018 21:46:41 +00002018 PRNDI Entry, Continuing Coverage: Race in New HampshireNHPR StaffA winter storm forecast to hit New Hampshire on Friday could result in coastal flooding and power outages. The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood watch for the Seacoast. High water may have difficulty receding around Hampton, as strong easterly winds pick up over the high tide cycle. There is also a high wind watch for coastal communities. The storm will generate winds of 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph. The Weather Service expects the strongest winds to develop Friday morning, with possible power outages from downed trees and branches. A winter storm watch is in effect for western New Hampshire, including southern Grafton County, all of Sullivan County and Cheshire County, and part of Hillsborough County. A mix of snow and rain will develop, making some driving difficult for some during the commuter hours Friday evening. Some snow accumulation projections, as of Thursday at noon, include 4-6 inches in Keene, 2-4 inches in Sunapee, and 1-3 inches in Manchester.N.H. Storm Watch: Coastal Flooding, Outages Possiblehttp://nhpr.org/post/nh-storm-watch-coastal-flooding-outages-possible
123404 as http://nhpr.orgThu, 01 Mar 2018 17:52:20 +0000N.H. Storm Watch: Coastal Flooding, Outages PossibleNHPR StaffYou can listen to a montage of the stories in Emily's series below, or see a list (with links) to individual stories at the bottom of this post. Stories about the criminal justice system often include the voices of lawyers, advocates, law enforcement and state corrections officials. But they rarely include the perspectives of the group of people most affected by the system: prisoners and those accused of a crime. In 2017, NHPR’s criminal justice reporter Emily Corwin produced a series of stories that sought to put those people at the center of her reporting. She wanted to explore the forces that shape who gets sent to jail, and who ends up staying there. Emily’s reporting included pieces on the state parole system, juvenile justice, the impact of a growing drug epidemic on prison populations, and racial and economic inequities in New Hampshire’s criminal justice system. The result is an ambitious, engaging body of work that tackles a tough subject from consistently fresh perspectives.2018 PRNDI Entry, Series: Questions of Justicehttp://nhpr.org/post/2018-prndi-entry-series-questions-justice
123308 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 27 Feb 2018 22:32:10 +00002018 PRNDI Entry, Series: Questions of JusticeNHPR StaffYou can listen to a montage of stories in NHPR's Crossroad series below, or see a list (with links) to individual stories at the bottom of this post. The nation has been grappling with an opioid epidemic for several years now, but few places have been as hard-hit as New Hampshire. The state has one of the highest overdose rates in the country. Obituary pages in local newspapers regularly feature photos of young people who died suddenly. Teachers find themselves acting as grief counselors for students whose home lives have been shattered by drug use. NHPR's addiction reporting in 2017 had one goal: to get as close as possible to where this story is being lived by Granite Staters every day. We covered State House policy debates, but also went inside an emergency room to talk with doctors and nurses overwhelmed by addicted patients. We spoke with families grappling with addicted children, and recovery workers eager to experiment with new approaches. We tracked the cultural shift that has2018 PRNDI Entry, Continuing Coverage: Crossroad - N.H.'s Opioid Crisishttp://nhpr.org/post/2018-prndi-entry-continuing-coverage-crossroad-nhs-opioid-crisis
123307 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 27 Feb 2018 22:28:08 +00002018 PRNDI Entry, Continuing Coverage: Crossroad - N.H.'s Opioid CrisisNHPR StaffThe state’s unemployment rate remained at 2.6 percent in the month of January, unchanged from December. New data from New Hampshire Employment Security shows the state added 60 jobs last month, while the state’s labor force held steady at 746,680. New Hampshire’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has remained below 3 percent for more than two years, as businesses scramble to find enough workers to fill open positions. According to the report, the number of unemployed residents in New Hampshire is down by nearly 1,500 since this time last year. The national unemployment rate stands at 4.1 percent.N.H. Unemployment Rate Holds Steady at 2.6 %http://nhpr.org/post/nh-unemployment-rate-holds-steady-26
123289 as http://nhpr.orgTue, 27 Feb 2018 17:38:57 +0000N.H. Unemployment Rate Holds Steady at 2.6 %NHPR StaffCongresswoman Carol Shea-Porter has signed on in support of legislation proposing a ban on assault weapons, including the AR-15, the gun used in the Feb. 14 shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 dead. She says the bill aims to stop the sale of military-style rifles and assault weapons. Co-sponsors said Monday that it would reinstate and improve the assault weapons ban that last expired in 2004. It would have an exception for gun owners who already have firearms identified in the bill. The " Assault Weapons Ban of 2018 " was introduced by Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla. President Trump remains opposed to such a weapons ban, a spokesman told The Hill . After the Florida shooting, the President expressed support for improving the federal background check system for firearms sales. Trump repeated his call to ban "bump stocks," an accessory that allows for rapid firing. Shea-Porter, citing the shooting in Florida and other shooting sprees, said CongressShea-Porter Co-Sponsors Proposed Assault Weapons Banhttp://nhpr.org/post/shea-porter-co-sponsors-proposed-assault-weapons-ban
123247 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 26 Feb 2018 21:54:10 +0000Shea-Porter Co-Sponsors Proposed Assault Weapons BanNHPR StaffVoters in Laconia will head to the polls on Tuesday for a special election to fill a New Hampshire House seat. The position was left vacant following the death of Donald Flanders, a Republican who was serving his ninth term when he passed away last September. The race pits Les Cartier, a Republican and retired hazardous waste coordinator in the state Fire Marshall’s Office, against Democrat Phil Spagnuolo, a substance misuse recovery coach. Republicans currently hold a 43-seat advantage in the 400-member New Hampshire House. Democrats are hoping to continue a string of special election victories from 2017.Special Election Set for Tuesday in Laconiahttp://nhpr.org/post/special-election-set-tuesday-laconia
123149 as http://nhpr.orgMon, 26 Feb 2018 15:00:09 +0000Special Election Set for Tuesday in Laconia